January Book Reviews

Bit heavy on the YA front this month but it was after Christmas!




I've always wanted to read a Maggie Stiefvater and went for this one purely on the cover art - I know... not best way to choose but that's how I roll! I can honestly say I enjoyed it but am so confused about what actually happened!

Blue lives in a family of psychics but has no supernatural ability herself - she has been told from as young as she can remember that if she kisses her true love she will die - bit harsh when you're 15. This doesn't seem a problem for Blue until she meets Gansey, Adam and Ronan... the Raven Boys, each with their own plethora of problems.... what ensues is a search for more supernatural enmeshed in angst from all characters trying to solve problems beyond their years.

The final instalment in The Caster Chronicles series... Ethan and Lena now live in different worlds after Ethan's sacrifice at the end of Beautiful Darkness. But, like teenage love... nothing can separate this couple. As Ethan tries to make his way back to Lena he encounters the demons and angels of the otherside. Lena hasn't given up either and she and the rest of the gang including Link, Liv and Ridley help each other to bring Ethan back where he belongs.

The latest offering from Pittacus Lore sees the garde of Lorien learning to use their legacies and work as a team to defeat Setrakus Ra.... The action doesn't stop in this third instalment, those that are following the series will not be disappointed especially with each garde member trying to work who is in fact Pittacus!

Moon Over Soho picks up with the story of our lovable bobby on the beat DC Peter Grant. The story literally begins a couple months after the events of Rivers of London and Peter is still learning the magical craft from Nightingale but it doesn't stop him from investigating the murders of the jazzmen of Soho... not a normal serial killer by any means. The joy in these books is the simplicity of plot movement, there is always something going on and we see much more to Peter than just the copper!

An anthology of poems from the last 60 years collected by Poet Laureatte Carol Ann Duffy to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Now I am by no means a poetry expert or necessarily lover but I was surprised at how few names I recognised in this anthology. Of course you have poets such as Roger McGough, Wendy Cope and Simon Armitage but more often than not I turned the page and thought who? This obviously doesn't stop the enjoyment although there it does not leave you feeling overly jubilant. This was a reading group choice and it was interesting to note that others remembered subjects from earlier years.

Sharing Knowledge - Volunteer Reader Development Training

Over the last year I have had the opportunity to be involved in many interesting projects within the Wiltshire Library Service. During the Autumn I received an email from our volunteer co-ordinator asking myself and a colleague to develop and roll out training at our volunteer aided libraries of which there are ten in Wiltshire. Twice a year volunteers are invited to a coffee morning with professional staff to receive training, it also provides a chance for feedback and dialogue between volunteers and staff. The training we were to provide was to enable the volunteers to confidently talk about books in the library and provide resources to help them improve their knowledge and help answer simple enquiries e.g. the next in a series or authors of the same genre.

Reader development has always been an area of interest to me but seems to be a dying part of library services in an age of technologies and budget cuts. This project gave me a chance to explore this area more thoroughly in order to provide insight on resources that could help volunteers when fielding enquiries and getting them involved in the idea of a “reader-centred library”, a phrase coined by Rachel Van Riel of Opening the Book notoriety. A couple of obstacles that we had to keep in mind were that not all training sessions were held in libraries and also that the number of volunteers that attended varied dramatically between five and twenty.

After an initial ideas session we came up with a basic format for the half an hour session. We wanted to keep it as informal and participatory as possible and so began with an icebreaker to get the participants talking about the books that they enjoy reading for the first five minutes with a chance for feedback to the group. Trying to stop this conversation in some libraries proved troublesome but at least we have enthusiastic volunteers! This then flowed into a conversation on why we as a library service value readers and the importance of being able to communicate this love with our readership... it reminds me of a phrase we used to use when I worked at Habitat which was “Our product is our passion”, cheesy but it gets the point across! We also felt it important to point out the difference on the way we work as oppose to bookshops. For instance we do not have multiple copies of bestsellers, forty copies of The Casual Vacancy were ordered in to satisfy a reservation list of nearly seventy over the thirty-five libraries in our county. It is not in our interest to buy multiple copies as a book shop would do but paying at 80p reservation charge is not as bad as paying £12.99 for a book you’ll only read once. So unlike book shops we rely on our customer service and other stock, not just best sellers, to keep our readership interested. We take into consideration our readership when ordering stock; we talk to them and display stock in such a way as to enable readers to explore new authors and genres.

The final part of the training was running through a list of resources found in the library both in hard copy and online which would help volunteers to help with reader enquiries and recommendations. Resources such as Who Else Writes Like, Fantastic Fiction, Books and Media and even Amazon which can help find authors and titles.

There was also the option of a practical exercise if time allowed and volunteers were enthusiastic which was a crate of books picked out for display with a couple of obvious stand outs e.g contemporary literature with a couple of aga sagas thrown in such as a Linda Page or an Emma Blair which would facilitate conversation about what is appropriate to display and how we put displays together. This could be seen to echo some of the frontline training provided by Opening the Book which was adopted by local authorities.

All the information communicated in the session was contracted into two easy to follow handouts and added to each of the volunteer libraries handbooks. There was a handout on resources and one with practical tips on book displays so volunteers went away with the information and those who were unable to attend coffee mornings did not miss out.

Due to staff and timing constraints I was only able to deliver the training in one venue but there was a group of four Librarians who delivered the training to the ten volunteer libraries, supported by the Community Librarian of that area. This went surprisingly well with a good discussion of reading habits and recommendations and the volunteers responded positively to the information they were given. From what I gather of the other training sessions this was true across the board but with the session only lasting half an hour and the mixture of people delivering the sessions were also unique to the volunteers that attended, making them more memorable.

This was a first for me in terms of devising and rolling out library training and it was good to have a group of experienced librarians to go to for advice and guidance. There was also the obstacle of producing this for an audience of volunteers who were not aware of library jargon especially when talking about concepts such as “reader-centred” libraries and explaining the key term of reader development. It also gave me the opportunity to work closer with other members of the library service who I may not necessarily see very often which will help me in future projects. I really enjoyed my time on this project and am glad that it was received in a positive light. Following the project through from inception to delivery took three months which meant balancing it with other core responsibilities which I felt I handled well and I look forward to the next opportunity.

December Book Reviews

The sequel to the intensity of everyday life picks up with the residents of Edenfield 8 years on from the happenings of the previous novel.
Familiar characters have new dilemmas, younger characters have grown older and in most cases more precocious... but they're all looking for the elusive emotion of love.

Any Nicholson story is a treat for me and gobbled this one down in less than a week... easily readable with rounded characters and real live dialogue... simple and life affirming and perfect for a winter's evening curling up with a glass of vino!

A disease has wiped out all the people on earth apart from 82 people in a village in Surrey - one of whom happens to be the only person to engineer a cure for Hav3n! 

When Michael retruns with the vaccine the people of Little Sheen have to learn how to survive in a world where they are the only inhabitants and much rests on the shoulders of the 4 teenagers of the village.

Are you part of the church gang or the Wheatsheaf gang? When you're the only people in the world is it easier to keep order? it would appear not! 

A nice change from the distopia/vampire fiction that is drowning the YA market at the moment... and a stand alone to boot!

A necessity for homemade Christmas presents and novice preserve makers! I made blueberry and lime jam and lemon and ginger marmalade from the recipes found and they were really easy to follow. Was also brilliant to read the advice about testing for sets and how to properly sterilise jars... v useful!

 I've always wanted to read Pepys' Diary but when seeing the epic-ness of it I thought this may be the next best thing!

Bastable recreates Pepys' world using extracts from Pepys' own diary and those of his contemporaries... very readable and easy to digest!

A teen series I've been meaning to read for a while, when I realised there was a graphic novel I thought it would be a brilliant way to get started! 

After being orphaned, James is taken to an Orphanage... what he doesn't know is he has been head hunted by CHERUB... the youth section of MI5 - no-one suspects a child of espionage... James gets put to the test in his first mission but will his naivety get the better of him?

The first of The City trilogy... an adult novel from Darren Shan. Capac gets off the train in the city to begin the gangster life he's always been dreaming of... his Uncle Theo starts to show him the ropes but when he is gunned down in front of Capac everything changes... the only person that matters in the city is The Cardinal and Capac is on his way to meet him!

As Capac fins his way in the city with his new mentor not everything is quite as it seems... violent, gritty and magical at times this will keep you wanting more!

After reading Howard's End is on the Landing I felt the need to read this story but I found myself getting lost very easily.

 Mayor follows the Rector's Daughter Mary and her life in Deadmayne. She lives a life of servitude and duty whilst everyone around her finds happiness... A unique writing style but I doubt I'll be diving in again any time soon

A selection of Christmas stories from Phinn's Dales books... if these stories do not lighten your heart you're basically dead inside. A brilliant way of getting into the festive spirit!

November Book Reviews

Bluebell's 13th Summer is one she will always remember but that's because she has someone helping her to make the right choices... herself!A birthday wish ends up with a future Bluebell "Red" tagging along for the Summer as Bluebell meets new friends and enjoying the Summer of a lifetime. Pacey with an extraordinary twist at the end... this story will resonate with young teens and those in the early double figures as Bluebell explores friendships, love and family dynamics... 9+

A touching coming of age story about first love, lust and the heartache that follows. This was my first foray into LGBT fiction and I enjoyed it. It was very easy to forget it was LGBT and think of it as just another teen love story apart from a couple of pages when Sean was unsure how to approach the subject of his sexuality with his loved ones.. these pages spoke outand could have been read separately from the book as a how to. Setting it in a small town gave the author the chance to show the diversity of a small population but he needed an outsider from the big city to re-assure Sean that everything was going to be ok... This Summer changes everything

 I've tried to read The Hobbit and it didn't stick but with the film coming out later this month I thought I'd try it in simpler chunks... Wenzel's adaption and illustrations help move the story along... we meet the dwarves and the elves and the wonderful Gandalf... beautifully illustrated I think I've got the basic plot down!

"Echoing Tess of the D'urbevilles"... the dust jacket is incribed with and I can see the comparison.

Mary is a fifteen year old farm girl in 1830... the youngest of 4 daughters to a vicious father and a complacent mother she is sent to live and work with the local vicar and his sickly wife.Outspoken Mary does not fit into domestic life but the vicar's wife finds her entertaining and indispensible as she grows ill. The vicar finds her in need of help and teaches her to read and write but things are not all as they seem... anyone who reads the classics or has read Tess will be able to tell how this ends but with the unusual style of writing and the unique voice this is a gem to read

One of my favourite authors of all time. I was so excited when I found he had a new book. This story focuses on the significance of time and how it affects everything we do as humans. Such a large subject is handled deftly through the stories of three individuals; 17yr old Sarah, terminally ill Victor and Dor the inventor of Time. Albom's words are contagious, you can't stop reading and I'm still thinking about it now. Beautifully written and happily devoured

The fourth instalment in the enemy series... Children live in the buildings of London hiding from the sickos, the oppos, the zombies, the adults that have taken over the city. But the zombies are getting organised, they are being called to the centre of the city whilst the children arejust trying to survive... recurring characters Dognut, Sarah, David, Ed and Kyle move the plot along and we learn more about Sam and the Kid and the shadowman introduced at the end of the fear. Another gripping instalment but how much longer can it go on for?

When Chris' best friend dies unexpectedly it affects him in ways he didn't realise it could..Chris becomes mute whilst he tries to come to terms with Declan's death, how he feels about Declan's supportive grlfriend and the new boy at school who reminds him so much of Dec. Well written concerning sensitive issues

A Day in Exeter...

This week I took part in a trip to the Devon and Exeter Institution and Exeter Cathedral Library and Archive organised by SWRLS and CILIPSW.

In a row of houses that make up Cathedral Close, sits a small white unassuming building, previously the home of the Courtenay family, the Earls of Devon... but behind those doors is a beautiful collection spanning two hundred years of arts, sciences and humanities and articles of local importance. The library was established in 1813 by local gentry of Exeter who began the collection with £4000 of books – a significant sum at this time in history. The Institution is everything that you’d expect from an old, established library. There are two main rooms to the library which are walled floor to ceiling with leather bound tomes. This is a library from another time, the card catalogues are still well used and many members came in during the morning to read the daily paper whilst sitting in the comfort of a cosy armchair. You could very easily have believed yourself in an Austen novel... maybe walking the library of Mansfield Park or Pemberley.

The chief librarian, Roger Brien, spent some time talking to us about the history of the building from its establishment as a library to the present day and it’s now charity status. He also spent some time sharing anecdotes of some of the Institution’s librarians and more interesting benefactors.

After a brilliant lunch we strolled around the cathedral gardens to the new home of the Exeter Cathedral Library and Archive where Librarian Peter Thomas and Archivist Ellie Jones showed us some of their precious collection. This collection includes records and artefacts from as early back as 800 AD including the Exeter Book, which is part of the Domesday records.  The Library holds items from the cathedral’s history and collections of interest from patrons and benefactors of the cathedral which include an extensive collection of medical books from as far back as the Tudor period.

It was a very interesting day and an eye opener to the world of special libraries. As a public librarian it isn’t very often that I get to see older collections and I can’t imagine getting much work done if I worked in either of these locations. A recurring theme in both locations was making the issue of making the public aware of the collections held in these places. As a public librarian we are also having this problem of preaching to the converted. With social media so prevalent you would think it would be easier to publicise services but how do you reach those groups who could benefit from your resources and help?

I would like to thank Clive and Lynne for organising the day and if you are intrigued by what you’ve read here there is another visit planned for the 6^th February so keep an eye out on the message boards.

Newcastle Central Library

During a weekend jaunt up north I took an hour out to visit the new Newcastle Central Library... I say new, it has been open since 2009! This is part of the new generation of public library and the thing that always hits me about these buildings is how they look and adopt the layout of academic libraries reminding me of Sheffield University’s Information Commons. It was also interesting to compare it with Swindon Central Library and Wiltshire’s new Trowbridge Library (housed within County Hall, Wiltshire Council’s headquarters).

The central library is over six levels with space for exhibitions, meeting rooms, a computer suite, cafe, crèche and all the normal things a library holds including BOOKS! I particularly liked the express zone on level one with different themed displays for quick choice but was thrown that the fiction is housed on level three. Instead the non-fiction is located on level one and adds to the feeling of it being an academic as oppose to public library. I should explain that there are two entrances to the library but in some ways it’s more like walking into a shopping centre than a library (modern design is funny like that!). It would take too long and you would be asleep by the time I’d finished so I'm just going to pull out a few interesting and what I think are key points.

• All library staff are roving in the central library and were easy to point out but became few and further between the further you went up. There are enquiry points but none of the more traditional counters for memberships and queries.
• For the size of the library there are only two bays of horror fiction although there is a very prominent blood-thirsty display but I wonder what will happen to this once the genre dies down.
• The size of the children’s library struck me as odd in proportion to the size of the library but I imagine that children are not the main catchment for the central library. It takes up a third of the floor space on level three along with what you would expect in a standard public library (fiction, DVDs, music, large print and talking books). Whilst we were there this space was also being used for a gaming afternoon which livened the atmosphere and brings an often reluctant demographic into the library.
• Newspapers and magazines were spread out across all levels of the library which could be confusing to first time users. 

The library’s wide variety of services include the normal eBooks, author events, home delivery service but also other initiatives which I believe work in these urban environments such as work clubs, business workshops, Internet taster sessions and law in the library which sees solicitors from Northumbria University School of Law give free legal advice to users. There is a similar programme in Wiltshire not with the law but with health which sees local nurses hold drop in sessions in libraries which has proven very successful over the last two years.

One last point I would like to raise which is along the same lines is the  promotion of a collection called “From Words to Wellbeing” which is much like Wiltshire’s “Books on Prescription” in that local GPs can ‘prescribe’ books that help you manage your wellbeing. In Newcastle Central this collection is kept together and under signage which makes it obvious to all what a person is looking at... the advantage of this is that members of the public can find it themselves and help themselves if they are too shy to ask. In Wiltshire libraries these books are kept in with the normal run of non-fiction and people have to come to the counter... it would be interesting to compare these two services and see whether users are comfortable with one way over the other.

Below are a few photos of interesting displays and initiatives set up in the library. Living in such a rural county it is interesting to see how more urban areas are dealing with the challenges of twenty first century public services including libraries. Newcastle impressed me and there are small changes I can make in my libraries which may prove successful. 

October Book Reviews

A stunning emotional debut by Laura Harrington... Alice Bliss and her family are thrown into unknown territory when her father is called up to fight in Afghanistan. When he leaves the family try to carry on as normal but cracks start to appear almost immediately... an already fraught relationship between Alice and her mother doesn't get any better, boundaries shift, life changes and 15yr old Alice is just trying to keep up

I read Engelby a few years a go which is a very twisted novel and I've always meant to go back to Faulks... Charlotte Gray seemed like an obvious choice and easier as I knew the story due to the film... little did I know it's completely different! Charlotte is an independent young woman ahead of her time in many ways who wants to help in the War effort. She is snapped up by G unit and sent to France in a matter of months where the truths of War unfold and Charlotte learns what it is she's fighting for.... Love is ever present as a purpose for her actions and we follow many characters through their individual battles.

A hard slog but I'm glad I made it through... characters

made by Faulks will haunt you for years after

 A wonderfully seductive and easy read with the complicated lives of a small group of friends Amber, Greg, Jen and Matt. With a group of close friends who have known each other for years they are always going to be secrets, old and new. The chocolate run embeds us into Amber's life as she traverses life, love and the brilliant relaxing qualities of chocolate in a modern world. An easy read whilst ill and a beauty from an author I've been meaning to read for a while... I'm glad I took the time!

Another of the never-ending dsytopian teen novels. This for me was lacking something although I can't put my finger on what.
Cal is just a normal kid, goes to school, comes home, does his homework but then the cracks start appearing, voices are in his head, seeing things in the shadows... and then he is woken from the coma that has been induced in him for 12 years. What ensues is a need for truth, discovery of a new world and the need to find a family you don't remember.

For those that like a bit of quirky with their novels... If you enjoyed the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next novels this will be right up your alley... PC Grant is coming to the end of probation and working out where to go next when he gets sent to DC Nightingale and the magic law unit... what ensues is a case of murder and magic, gods, goddesses, ghosts all in the setting of the multicultural capital... slow to start but picked up pace and now I can't wait for the next installment!

The 2012 Orange prize Winner.. a debut by Miller focusing on the life time relationship of Achilles and Patroclus...like all ancient greek history the Gods aren't quiet for long and we follow the twists and turns of a unique relationship in the time of the siege of Troy... written in a easier style not losing the poetry of ancient greek tradition... easily read with a balance of action and emotion to keep you reading

After following a £10 note around for a weekend Steve Boggan went to the next step and followed a $10 around the USA for a month... with no input or influence Boggan follows the noted from the centre of America in Kansas to Illinois. As much a story of travel around USA what stays with you is the people Boggan meets along the way and the trials they face in modern day America... the kindness of strangers is abundant.. an interesting perspective and a quirky way of viewing modern american society.